I've just bought the latest issue of the UK's best Computer magazine - Edge.
It has an excellent interview and preview with the programmers of the game -
Chris and Tony West.
I thought you'd like to read the article...and I've also included the
captions from underneath the pictures.
This is shaping up to be a mightly impressive simulation.
idav.
*
World Sports Cars.
It's probably fair to say the world of racing games is suffering from mild
schizophrenia, with realsitic racers and simulations fighting a continual
battle for supremacy.
Right now, realism based racing is the ***, more outgoing and possibly
more stable personality - one adored by casual and racing enthusiastics
alike.
The racing simulation's possesive relationship over the PC market goes back
generations of course. Developers keen to recreate the closest thing to a
racing car with a cathode ray tube for a windscreen have always required the
computing power only a PC can deliver.
Its a highly competitive scene where Papyrus' Grand Prix Legends enjoys a
commanding position over the field, though Geoff Crammond's Grand Prix 3 is
threatening to slipstream into the lead any day soon.
But there is a new team in the paddock.
Twins Chris and Tony West have taken a day off from working on WSCars and
have arrived at Edge's office to show off their latest venture.
Their last published game was 1994's Street Racer on the SNES.
Passionate for cars and all things motor-sport realted from their earliest
memories, little has changed in ***hood. A couple of Lotuses were sitting
in the drive way after developing a James Bond title for Doamrk in the 80's,
while the proceeds from Street Racer purchased a pair of Ferrari 348's.
They were subsequently sold to fund the development of WSCars.
WSCars is a high-end simulation of World Sports Cars. Details of which cars
and international circuits are to be included remain unconfirmed at this
stage - publisher Empire is looking into licenses - but expect a
comprehensive list when the game ships.
Right now the brother's have other things to worry about.
Unquestionably the foundation of a racing sim is its dynamics model. WSC's
has been 5 years in the making, starting life as a simple kinematic demo and
evolving into one of th emost accurate, elaborate examples around.
"It seems every racing sim that comes out claims to have real physics" says
Chris,"but as yet only GPL has anything that could really be called real. We
feel the level of detail that GPL showed in its handling should be the norm
as opposed to th eexception in racing sims and that is what we are aiming
for."
"All aspects of the car model are dealt with in a physically correct way.
The suspention geometry is modelled so changes in camber, etc, are all real.
Force Feedback effects use realvalues and the tyre model uses the latest
developments from the Society of Automotive Engineers. The nice thing about
doing everything in a physically correct way is if you change something in
the car, not only will you feel a change in th eway it drives, but you will
see the effect on the car, so if oyu adjust the camber or suspension link
lengths you will see it change onscreen."
And before you ask, the model also includes the implimentation of
aerodynamic values to create downforce. Of course, everything is full
adjustable...spring rates, bumpstops, arm length and positioning, rollbar,
damping, ride height and all other aspects of vehicle suspension can be
tinkered with.
Similarly, engine and transmission realted features such as torque values
and gear ratios are also modifiable.
"Everything has been modeled correctly, the gearbox, clutch - everything has
a wear factor and can be damaged or broken, so if you are doing a very long
race you have to keep an eye on that...that bit might fail and will then
affect the pit stops later on.
The pits. A part of racing so often overlooked, but which the wests are
about to bring into th elimelight with considerable force.
"One of the big features of the game is going to be the pit stops, I don't
know if you remember Pitstop 2...its still one of the only games that allows
you control over the pit stops which is something we really want to bring up
to date.
If you come in for a pit stop, it will be up to you to pick up an air wrench
and plug it in, to get the car up on its jack, to take the wheels off, to
put new one's back on and you'll be able to perform all manner of tasks such
as changing fluid levels, refuelling, changing the driver, replacing disk
pads, tune the engine, even down to a bucket and sponge that you can clean
the windscreen with."
"The advantage we have over F1 games is that they have an 8 second pit stop
and you can't have interactivity there, whereas in WSCars races they can be
in there for half-an-hour....even the shorter one's take 2 -5 minutes...so
you can really get involved."
If nothing else, these stops act like a mini-game whcih reflects the Wests
past spent delving into genres other than just serious simulations,
however..there ARE serious gameplay implications.
"Its going to be up to you to know whats wrong with your car, what needs
fixing and what needs checking, so its a kind of game within a game and I
think it will be one of the strong features of the title. Its probably going
to seperate it from other racing games."
But there are many other features that distinguish WSC from the competition.
"All the cars are modelled inside and out and are panel based, so if
something opens up on the real car and detaches it does on
ours. The player can remove all the body panels if he wishes and drive the
car with no bodywork. This allows for some nice damage effects as well as
making the cars feel more real and not simply like a box on wheels. So if
your flying down the straight and your body panel comes loose it can fly
off."
While they await news on the licensing issues that affects the content of
the
final game, the twins are already one step ahead.
"We have designed WSCars to be the basis for a whole series of expansion and
add-on-packs, obviously you will get all the car packs and track packs, but
these can be ANY cars from F1 to go-carts and the tracks could be any from
Le Mans to Daytona. We plan to do some of these ourselves and rely on the
FANS to provide the rest by releasing the format and editors on the
Internet. The possibilities are enormous."
End.
Captions.
"The level of detail on the cars is mightly impressive - close in and notice
that the wheels are perfectly modelled, along with an intricate brake
assembly...expect to take control off all parameters during a pit stop."
"You can start the car by going through the electrics/starter motor routine.
A clutch is included and audio will match the visual quality."
"The engine is made up of its own seperate components so that when you fire
up the exhaust vibrates, the torque twists...ect"
Phew...so there you go.!!
Two interesting points.......the pitstops and the release of editors on the
Internet.
Like to read what you think.
BTW...the photo's are excellent.
Ian.